Machine for rinsing ampoules and the like



Y RI NSE 4l J. D. RATNER MACHINE FOR RINSING AMPOULES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 2l, 1945 Jan. 2, 1951 WATEZIZ ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 2, 195i MACHINE FOR RINSING AMPOULES AND THE LIKE Jacob D. Ratner, Brooklyn, N.'Y., assigner to Novocol Chemical Mfg. C0., Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 21, 1945, Serial No. 611,820 2 Claims. (Cl. 134f-171) This invention relates to apparatus for Washing tubular articles such as ampules and cartridges made of glass, plastic, or similar composition, for holding anesthetic solutions, medicaments and the like.

Glass containers of the kind mentioned must be scrupulously clean, particularly where they are used as containers for materials to be hypodermically injected, such as anesthetics. Accordingly, before filling such containers, each is carefully washed and dried in an aseptic condition in so far as possible. In the process of washing such articles heretofore, an operator sits in front of a washing machine and mounts the Cartridges or ampules on a series of moving spcuts which admit water under high pressure to the interior. The articles so mounted pass under a shelf and the water pressure raises the cartridge or ampule against the shelf, which prevents it being blown from the spout during washing and drying. It is necessary for the operator to position the mouth of each cartridge or ampule n the spout. Due to the speed required in such operation, breakage is apt to occur and the operator fails to cover each of the spouts with the article to be washed. Further, the tubular articles as they pass under the shelf are sometimes thrown out of alignment by the pressure against the shelf, causing damage to either the tube or spout.

The principal object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a suitable device to permit proper positioning of such glass cartridges, ampules and the like on a machine and support them in position aligned with the spout thereon.

The invention accordingly comprises the novel devices and combinations thereof, specic embodiments of which are described herein by way of example only and in accordance with the manner in which I now prefer to practice the invention. v

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specication, I have shown apparatus embodying my invention as I now prefer to prac-` tice it.

In the drawings, K

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of the washing machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed elevation of one of the rotatable arms with holders thereon, in some of which cartridges are mounted;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed View of a crosssection of a modified form of the holder;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed view of a crosssection of the holder with cartridge inserted 2 therein taken along the line -t of Fig. 2, the cartridge being broken away to lessen its length as here shown,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary still further enlarged detailed View corresponding to Fig. 4 showing the spout in cross-section and the travel of the washing and drying iiuids upwardly through the spout and downwardly through the interior of the ampule to the discharge ports in the holder,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line 6-6 of Fig. l;

Fig. '7 is a detailed view on the line 'I--l of Fig. 6 showing the connection of the water and hot air pipes to the segments for washing and drying the cartridges, and

Fig. 8 is a detailed section on the line of Fig. 6.

Referring now to these drawings, rotatably mounted about a central standard I, driven by a motor and suitable driving parte, including a worm 2, and worm gear 2a., the latter being mounted on the standard I to rotate the same, is a series of radial hollow arms 3. These arms are preferably successively connected through valve connections with wash water fed through pipe Ii, rinsing water fed through pipe 5, and hot air fed through pipe 5. As shown more particularly in Fig. 2, each arm 3 is supported by a central housing 'l rotating with the support I. The housing has a hollow interior 8 and through it the washing and drying fluids pass. As shown more particularly in Figs. 6 to 8, as the radial arms rotate clockwise, wash water is supplied through pipe to a stationary chamber da having a port db through which the wash water passes into the chamber S and thence into the hollow arms 3 through a central conduit S. On further rotation, rinse water passes through pipe 5 into another segment of the chamber lia through a similar port communicating through a rinse water chamber 8a and, upon further rotation, the pipe 5 passes hot air through a hot air valve 8b and then into communication with the channel 9. Spaced along these conduits 9 are a series of aligned cylindrical, tubular holders i0 for receiving tubular small mouthed substantially cylindrical glass articles, here shown as glass cartridges II.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, each holder consists of a tube I0, shown in Fig. 2, as a little more than half as long as the glass cartridge II. This tube is closed at one end by an integral base I2 which has a central longitudinal channel I3, in the upper end of which is iastened an upstanding needle spout I4 secured in place by a collar I5. The spout has an outside diameter as shown a little smaller than the mouth of cartridge I I. 'The spout I4, as shown in Fig. 5, has a conduit I6 of fine bore therethrough and is positioned interiorly of the holder, being longitudinally coaxial therewith and spaced from the inner wall of the holder. The lower end of the plug is exteriorly screw-threaded at Il for attachment to the arm 3. As so attached, the conduit I3 is in communication with a passageway I8 in the arm 3 communicating with the main conduit 9 of said arm. At the lower portion of the holder I and just above the upper surface of the plug I2 is a series of ports I9 spaced circumferentially about the holder.

The holder I0 has a substantially straight tapered mouth as shown at 20, the elements of the taper extending downwardly and inwardly toward the spout Ill and terminating just above. the top of the spout. The tapered mouth merges into a tubular part of the holder whose inner elements are substantially parallel to the spout. The inner diameter of the tubular portion is a little larger than that of the article such as cartridge II.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the tube I8 is closed at one end by a separate plug I2 which has a central longitudinal channel I3 in the upper end of which is frictionally held the needle spout I4. The spout I4 is otherwise similar to spout I4. The lower end of the plug I2' is exteriorly screw-threaded at Il for attachment to the arm 3. The functioning of this modied holder is similar to that shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5.

In operation, an operator seated in front of the apparatus places the cartridges or ampules in position on the rotating arm in the location marked Placement on Fig. 1. To do this, all that is necessary is to introduce the open mouth of the cartridge II into the mouth of the holder I0 and release it. The tapered wall 28 of the holder directs the cartridge to a position about the spout I4. The cartridge is then ready to be washed. As it passes under the shelf 2l of the machine (Fig. 1), washing iluids are supplied from the chamber 8 through the conduits 9 and I8 up through the conduit of the plug I3 through the passageway I6 of the spout I@ and into the interior of the cartridge. The washing fluid cleans the interior, the waste Wash water owing downwardly through the cartridge and out below the lower edge thereof through the ports I9. Pressure of the wash water against the upper end of the cartridge Il unseats the cartridge sufciently to allow the wash water to run out of the ports I9. Thereafter the washing uid is cut ol and hot dry air is similarly admitted to the interior of the cartridge and it is dried. During the passage of the cartridge under the shelf, the washing and drying uids are applied under suicient pressure to move the upper end of the cartridge into contact with the lower surface of the shelf. As pointed out'above, heretofore such contact has often caused the cartridge or ampule to sit at an angle on the spout and at this angle the tubular article has tended to bind against the shelf and eventually either to bend the spout or break the article. By the present arrangement, this is substantially impossible. The tubular holder I0 positions the cartridge I-I about the spout and keeps it in alignment, and the sides of the holder serve as a support for the sides of the cartridge, thus preventing it from toppling over into an angular position and breaking, or bending the spout. After washing and drying, the cleansed and dried cartridges or ampules emerge at the location marked Removal in Fig. 1 and are there removed from the support by the operator who replaces them with other cartridges. or ampules for washing and drying.

I claim:

1. A device for holding tubular glass articles such as small mouthed substantially cylindrical cartridges and ampules to be cleansed consisting of an upstanding spout having a diameter a little smaller than that of the interior of the mouth for conveying washing andv drying iluids to the tubular glass articles, and a holder surrounding said spout having a substantially straight tapered mouth, the elements of which converge down wardly and inwardly towards said spout, said mouth terminating just above said spout and merging into a tubular portion whose inner elements are substantially parallel to sa;d spout, said tubular portion having a diameter a little larger than the maximum diameter of the article, whereby the article is aligned with respect to the spout at a point just above the spout and moves downwardly about the spout as so aligned.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which said holder is provided at the base thereof with a. port to allow escape of waste washing uid.

JACOB D. RATNER..

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 3,870 Hallowell Mar. 8, 1870 908,446 Court Jan, 5, 1809` 932,193 Utard et a1 Aug. 24, 1909 1,017,829 Wakefield Feb.. 20, 1912 1,030,887 Hauk July 2, 1912 1,055,220 Pindstofte Mal. 4, 1913 1,130,015 Paul Mar. 2, 1915 2,347,057 Lakso Apr. 18, 1944 Number Country Date 103,971 Germany June 28, 1899 197,702 Germany Apr. 22, 1908 17,161 Great Britain 1913 

